Rumpy Madan
There is no meaningful distinction between eating flesh and eating dairy or other animal products. Animal exploited in dairy industry live longer than those used for meat but they are treated worse during their lives, and they end up in the same slaughter house after which we consume their flesh anyway. There is probably more suffering in a glass of milk or an ice cream cone than there is in a steak.
Milk and milk products are in great demand in the country . There is no meal in a day which can do without the dairy product. In Morning Breakfast we need milk for shakes and tea for lunch we need curd , and for Dinner again we crave for a milk pudding to complete our meal. In all this fascination with dairy products we never give a thought to its source or the live machines called Cow’s and buffaloes, who are made to produce or reproduce on dairy farms to meet our increasing greed for milk products.
Growth tonic for kids and health supplement for old but nectar from heaven has turned toxic. The benefits of consuming milk and milk products, we used to hear from our grandmothers, is now thing of the past. Osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, are now called lifestyle diseases. Why and where have we gone wrong?
Why the goodness of milk turned intolerant? Know your dairy is the suggestion and the answer in itself.
Today the farm animals are not only used but abused and misused !
They live and die in deplorable conditions. Small filthy sheds unchecked breeding through Artificial insemination, no open pastures or happy satisfied calf’s around as we think or the way it should be , but a starving calf and a traumatized mother forced to let down milk with the injection called oxitocin . These drugs and the distress symptoms are passed on to the consumer along with the said goodness of milk.
There is a lot which is wrong with our dairy industry. The greed is unlimited but there is always a damage control possible.
First of all these dairies have to be registered so that some kind of basic parameters the dairy owners have to meet to function. The health and well being of these farm animals is directly connected to our own health.
It is recognised that sentient animals are capable of pain and suffering and so deserve consideration and respect. The animal lovers in the world may play a key role in defining the future trend of animal welfare and has a responsibility to take active steps to safeguard animal welfare at all the dairy farms with effective animal welfare legislation under cooperation and support of local & central Govt.
Whilst recognising that human welfare in many cases requires dominance over animals, while animal welfare should be exercised with responsibility, and with due consideration and compassion for the animals concerned which is lacking in dairy farming in our country because of non implementation of animal welfare norms.
It is believed that the five freedoms are essential to the welfare of any animal kept in captivity: freedom from hunger or thirst ; freedom from thermal or physical discomfort ; freedom from pain, injury and disease ; freedom from fear and distress and freedom to indulge in normal behaviour patterns. Animal welfare issues should be based on scientific, veterinary, ecological, ethical and ethological considerations. Although recognising that neither sentiment nor economic factors can be entirely divorced from welfare, they should never be paramount in its consideration.
1) Nutrition: Animals should have access to a nutritionally adequate diet and clean, fresh water.
2) Animal health: The health of all animals should be maintained through preventive care programs augmented by rapid diagnosis and treatment when necessary.
3) Management: To promote animal care and wellness, animal caretakers should be adequately trained, follow protocols and have access to record systems to meet the requirements of their position.
4) Housing and facilities: Facilities should be designed, constructed and maintained to provide and promote animal health, comfort and safety.
5) Handling, movement and transportation: All animals should be handled, moved and transported in a manner that reduces the risk of injury, discomfort or disease.
In this connection, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change has made the objectives of animal welfare to avoid the pathetic and illegal management of dairy animals . Thus to to be done as per provision of Prevention of Cruelties to Animals Act 1969 .
The full set of standards may be recommended for immediate adoption is as follows:
* No tail-docking
* No dehorning
* Decreasing lameness and other major health problems in cows by:
a. Prohibiting the use of rBGH/rBST
b. Maintaining sanitary facilities
c. Installing nonslip flooring and allowing frequent pasture access to ensure foot health
d. Providing regular foot care and immediate treatment for lameness
e. Providing adequate bedding with appropriate replacement/cleaning
* Group housing for calves, without tethering
* Immediate euthanasia for non-ambulatory cows, when appropriate medical treatment is unavailable or there is no chance of recovery
* Annual third-party, transparent audits with unannounced audits permitted at any time.
The cruelty to dairy animals may cause not only the torture and inhumane behaviour with animals but also it is a serious violation of animal laws which would certainly effect the milk and milk products with the future generation due ill effect of health . Deterioration of milk quality and health hazards in India is new challenge due to dominating nature of dairy owners to use cows as machine. All these above issues may be solved on priority basis under coordination of AWBI and State Govt. or local agencies to respect the Animals Vs. Nature for the benefit and survival of human beings.
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